


fairytale

by sirmeepy



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Knights & Trickstar shenanigans tbh, M/M, reverse Cinderella AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 18:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9837749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirmeepy/pseuds/sirmeepy
Summary: After losing his sparkly shoe at Prince Tsukasa's celebratory ball, Subaru is determined to return to the castle and retrieve it.Tsukasa is not amused.





	1. Cendrillon

**Author's Note:**

> the reverse Cinderella subakathy AU that no one asked for. dedicated to my partner-in-shipping-crime, Kurt.  
> chapter titles are based off of songs! the fic title is _Fairytale,_ by buzzG. (cover by [Shakemii](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN3UFj-u8co) ; [nnd](http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm28080376))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title: _Cendrillon_ by SignalP (cover by [Wotamin & Inakamono](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfxKJQn7vms) ; [nnd](http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24365334))

The lights shone, illuminating the grand ballroom golden.

Subaru couldn't help the "wow" that escaped his lips. It was even _sparklier_ than he thought it would be. Not only did the decor glow, but the guests did as well. He saw women in gorgeous gowns, their necks adorned with polished jewellery. Men in well-fitted suits danced and laughed around the castle.

The dress he wore was very gaudy in comparison. It was, after all, only a costume gown. Still, his shoes sparkled beautifully.

Subaru glided across the polished floor, his excitement building as the music started up. Strings echoed throughout the ballroom. He smiled as he passed numerous guests, bowing and curtsying to those who would stop and humour him.

The night was young and the party was just starting. He moved between groups, dancing with a number of different men and women of varying ages and backgrounds.

The only thing that would make the ball any better was if the rest of Trickstar had also come, Subaru concluded. But Hokuto was adamant; they didn't have _time_ for parties or celebratory balls.

Well, Subaru made time. Only a couple of hours at most, then he’d leave and hopefully return before anyone noticed he had even left.

Suddenly, he felt a body crash into his. He stumbled forwards, almost tripping over the three-inch heels of his shoes.

"I'm so sorry!" a high-pitched voice exclaimed.

Stabilizing himself, Subaru turned to the woman who spoke. Her hair fell in soft, brown curls below her shoulders and her hands were outstretched in a belated attempt to help him. Brows knit in concern, her dark eyes watched him carefully. She took a step towards him and asked over the noise of the other partygoers, "Are you okay?"

He blinked. "Yeah! Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm sorry about that; did I step on your foot?"

"Nope!" He shook his head. "Even if you did, it's okay, you know? Once, someone stepped on my face but I was fine! My face still looks good, doesn't it?"

"I—well." She paused for a second before flashing him a small smile. She looked at his attire with an unspoken question, but politely followed the flow of the conversation. "Yes, you look fine."

Subaru grinned. "Thanks, miss."

"Anzu," she stated. "You can call me Anzu, if you'd like."

"Oh! Anzu. _Anzu_ ," he repeated, feeling the name on his tongue. Once satisfied with the sound, he continued, "Nice to meet you, Anzu. My name's Akehoshi Subaru; 'Akehoshi' means 'morning star'! My name's got star in it, isn't that cool?"

A soft laugh escaped her lips. "Nice to meet you too, Akehoshi. Are you enjoying the ball? Did you come to greet the prince?"

"Prince?" he echoed.

Anzu blinked. "Didn't you know? This whole celebration is for Prince Tsukasa."

"Is it his birthday or something? I mean, I think I saw some cake around."

She shook her head. "Uh, how do I say this—he is looking for a fiancée, I suppose."

Subaru gasped. "What? I had _no_ idea! Me and my friends just arrived in Kimisaki last night and we heard there was a celebration everyone was invited to... but I didn't hear exactly what it was for. The prince is here? In this ballroom? Right now?"

"Yes, I was actually just speaking with him before I bumped into you," she explained.

"What? Seriously?" His eyes lit up. "Can I meet him too?"

"Probably? I don't know where he is right now, but he shouldn't be too hard to find. I bet he's surrounded by people." Anzu placed her hand below her chin in thought. "He seemed really occupied when I was talking to him though, but—well, he _is_ a prince. Girls want to talk to him because they want to marry him, and he has to properly greet all his guests too."

"Was he nice?"

"He was very... princely."

"Wow! I want to meet him now. I'm going to go look for the prince," Subaru proclaimed, excitement lacing his voice. "It was nice meeting you, Anzu!"

"And I enjoyed meeting you, too," she said with a curtsy.

Before turning to leave, he added, "I like your dress! It is very sparkly!"

It was a simple peach-coloured piece that reached her knees, but the jewelled adornments shone brightly under the light. She couldn't help the quirk of her lips. "I like yours too!"

With a final wave, Subaru turned around and disappeared into the crowd of party guests.

It didn't take very long for Subaru to find the prince—or at least who he assumed was the prince.

A small crowd formed near the string quartet, but no eyes were on the performers. Rather, everyone seemed captivated by something—or someone—in the middle of the group. Curious, Subaru gravitated towards the mass of people.

The redhead at the core of the gathering flashed a quick smile towards the guests, bowing his head politely as he apologized for having to leave and meet with others. Pulling away from the crowd, Tsukasa made it only a few steps before someone scurried into his personal space, eyes bright and questioning.

"Are you the prince? I'm Akehoshi Subaru!" he exclaimed as he grasped for Tsukasa's hands.

Startled, all Tsukasa could do was answer with a simple, "Yes."

"Do you want to dance?" Subaru suddenly inquired.

Tsukasa blinked.

His eyes then turned to their joined hands. Realization slowly settled and he immediately released himself from Subaru's hold. He wanted to decline, but he could feel the expectant gazes of the partygoers boring into this back. So he wore his best diplomatic smile, extended a hand and said, "Yes, I would be honoured."

Subaru happily accepted, and the two stepped in time to the music.

Or at least tried to.

Tsukasa attempted to lead Subaru into a waltz, but the other boy couldn't seem to follow. He tried not to wince as Subaru's heels dug into his toes.

" _Why_ are you wearing heels?" he hissed. "And that dress?"

"Huh? Because it's a ball? What else am I supposed to wear?" Subaru answered like it was obvious, ignorant of the pain he was causing the prince.

"A suit, for one," he suggested dryly.

"You don't like my dress, Kathy?"

"It's beautiful," he commented instinctively. "Wait—did you just call me _Kathy_?"

Subaru hummed in response.

"It's Tsukasa. Or Suou. It's actually _Prince_ , for that matter—but not Kathy."

"Kathy!" he repeated.

" _Tsukasa_."

"Don't you think Kathy is nice?"

"My name isn't Kathy." Tsukasa stopped in his footsteps. Subaru's dance moves soon slowed in response. A pout formed on the boy's lips for a brief moment before he brightened up once more, reaching to place his hands on the prince's shoulders. Tsukasa willed himself not to jerk away from the contact.

"The song's not over yet, y'know?" Subaru pointed out, and he was right; the violins crescendoed in the background and Tsukasa remembered the steady eyes that were watching him— _them_.

Gingerly, the prince rested his hands on his partner's waist and tried to lead him into a dance once more. Subaru was as ungraceful as he was during their first attempt; Tsukasa could only wonder what the partygoers watching them thought of this horrid display.

Did they realize Subaru was male? Or did they all think he was just a frumpy tomboy? The dress Subaru wore was certainly misleading—why would he be wearing a dress of all things? Tsukasa could tell at first glance the gown was poorly made. The cheap fabric fell to his ankles in dull hues of blue with little decoration.

He didn't understand.

"Do you like to dance, Kathy?" The words broke him out of his train of thought. His brow creased at the nickname, but the prince ultimately decided it would cause less of a scene to ignore it rather than reprimand the boy on his tactlessness.

"I've been doing it all my life," he replied simply. This was not his first ball, after all.

"Oh, but that doesn't answer my question."

Tsukasa blinked. "Well, yes, I suppose. It can be enjoyable."

"That's great! I love to dance too!" Subaru beamed in response. "Well, not really like this. I've never actually ballroom danced before or anything."

"I can tell," the prince muttered. He let out a yelp as his dance partner suddenly stepped on his toes once more, this time actually looking apologetic. He could feel more eyes watching their pseudo-waltz after that short outburst.

"Oops! Uh, what about singing?" Subaru pressed on, seemingly unaware of the onlookers. "Do you like singing?"

Tsukasa couldn't understand where the boy was going with these questions. Maybe he was trying to distract him from the pain he caused every single time he accidentally stomped on his feet? Still, why was he interested in these matters? Most people he spoke to inquired about politics, what was happening within the castle, what _King Leo_ was doing. Yet Subaru just wanted to know whether he liked to sing and dance.

He never sang much. He went through some lessons when he was younger, along with other etiquette and artistic courses, though they never continued on beyond the first couple of years. Sometimes he'd still hum to himself when he was alone; it reminded him of a simpler time.

"I do," he answered truthfully, gaze downcast. He concentrated on their feet as they followed the music. Subaru's shoes glittered. "But I spend more time watching other people sing, than actually singing myself."

He usually found himself watching others and following orders.

He was a prince, but he wasn't king.

Tsukasa forced a smile on his lips as he met Subaru's eyes once more. He had that excited look on his face again, a noticeable sparkle in his eyes. Subaru opened his mouth, and—

The bell chimed midnight.

He startled at the sound, abruptly pulling away from the prince. The string quartet was still playing, though their melodies began to sound heavy to Tsukasa. He had to give them credit for their professionalism; his attempted dance with Subaru was most likely distracting, but they still played well.

"Is it that late?" Subaru sounded panicked. "Oh _man_ , Hokke is gonna kill me if he finds out about this!"

"It's only midnight?"

"I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place," he admitted. Hurriedly, he removed his high heels, while simultaneously backing away from Tsukasa. "I, uh, have to go now. Thanks for the dance, Kathy!"

He enthusiastically waved his free hand in farewell, the other clutching his shoes. Tsukasa could only stare as he watched the boy run off.

He was very, very strange.

With a sigh, Tsukasa returned his attention to the rest of the ballroom. It was only midnight. He still had more dances to partake in. Some of the guests politely looked away from him, pretending not to have watched his ordeal with Subaru. As he crossed the room, something sparkly caught his eye.

Slowly, he approached the object on the ground. It was a single high heel shoe, shining under the light of the chandelier. He recognized it. "Akehoshi," he muttered.

His eyes flit across the ballroom, searching for a mop of orange hair. He was nowhere to be seen.

Tsukasa looked down at the shoe again.

What was he supposed to do with it?

 

* * *

 

Subaru had run across town as quickly as he could barefoot. The pavement was rough under his feet, but he was used to it. He slowed to a jog as he got closer to the hostel Trickstar was staying in overnight.

They had a performance early in the morning—something at a small centre Hokuto had figured out weeks ago. The logistics were complicated since they were always on the road travelling between kingdoms, but Hokuto was good at setting up performances for Trickstar no matter where they went. With an early show, their leader had instructed them to rest early as well. But Subaru couldn't resist going to the ball! It was _all_ everyone was talking about as they arrived in Kimisaki the other day.

He hummed happily. Because he went, he learned that the prince liked singing and dancing. Maybe he'd like to watch Trickstar on stage one day—perhaps even invite the group to the castle. He had wanted to ask, but time had run short.

"Akehoshi!"

Subaru froze. Standing outside their lodgings was Hokuto, an unhappy look on his face. With a frown, he eyed the dress Subaru was wearing—the skirt was caked in dirt—and the shoe in his hand. "You went to the ball."

"Yes! But I came back!" He pouted.

"I told you, we have a show tomorrow. _And_ we have early practice," Hokuto reprimanded.

"I know! I was only there for a short time, Hokke. I promise I'll work hard tomorrow, okay? I even met the prince, y'know?"

"You—you met the _prince_?" he repeated, shock evident in his voice.

He nodded enthusiastically. "I did! We danced and talked a bit; he's a funny guy."

"I—you know what, just come in. We can discuss this tomorrow. For now, we need to sleep. Put your shoes on, Akehoshi," Hokuto directed. He paused, then glanced down at Subaru's feet. "Did you lose one of your shoes?"

"What? Of course not! I have them both, I just took them off so I could walk better." Subaru held his hands out to prove his point.

He was only carrying a left shoe. He gasped at the sudden revelation. "I lost it! I must have lost it at the ball! I have to go back, Hokke!"

"What? No! You can't go back!"

"I have to!" Subaru exclaimed.

"Akehoshi, it's just a _shoe_."

"But it was _sparkly_ ," he reasoned.

Hokuto let out an exasperated groan. "No. We are not doing this right now. We can talk about it tomorrow."

"We will?"

"If it will get you to come in and finally get some rest, then yes, we will," he relented. "Let's head in now."

With a bit of reluctance, Subaru followed his leader into the building. The thought of the missing shoe weighed heavy on his mind. His only consolation was knowing that they would get it back tomorrow.

Tomorrow seemed so far away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shout-out to my friend tachii for the sanity check on this story! & everyone else who had to deal with me whining about this pairing for months...


	2. The prince is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title: _The Snow White Princess is..._ by Noboru↑P (cover by [Korosuke & Anima](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ligwNXEdEg8) ; [nnd](http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm10659814))

"Hokke!" Subaru whined, following after his leader like an obedient dog. Trickstar's morning show at the community centre had just ended, and the small troupe of entertainers were packing up their things in their assigned storage room. "Are we gonna go now? Are we gonna get my shoe back?"

"No," came Hokuto's swift reply.

"But we just finished our performance," he protested.

"Hey, hey. What's this about a shoe?" Makoto stepped in, watching his friends closely. Subaru was visibly upset, while Hokuto seemed busy putting away some of their props.

Subaru turned to face his colleague. "Yesterday, I went to the ball. But when I came back, I lost my _sparkly_ shoe, Ukki! It's at the castle still and I bet the prince has it."

Makoto let out a gasp. "Not your shoe! We have to go!"

"Don't humour him!" Hokuto reprimanded, turning away from his task of organizing. "You know, he went to the party in one of _your_ costume gowns, Yuuki—which he was never supposed to go to in the first place—and he came back covered in dirt. It will be impossible to clean."

"Are you saying we can't use it in any future skits?" Mao piped into the conversation. He offered up a cloth to the other Trickstar members to wipe clean any sweat. Hokuto and Makoto politely shook their heads to decline, whereas Subaru was too preoccupied with the matter at hand to even notice.

"No, we won't be able to use it anymore—"

"Hey, wait, it was my costume—"

"But you promised, Hokke—"

"So what's the issue?" Mao questioned, trying to make sense of what everyone was saying at once.

Subaru huffed. "I lost my sparkly shoe at the ball last night. I'm sure the prince has it."

"The _prince?_ " Mao blanched.

"Yes! The prince!" Subaru exclaimed. "I'm gonna get my shoe back. I'll go back to the castle. I'll _kick down_ doors until I find it!"

Hokuto sighed. "You can't just kick down doors, Akehoshi."

"Then I'll knock really loudly!"

"He _is_ a prince, though," Mao reminded.

"I'll knock really politely?" Subaru frowned.

"Don't you need an appointment or something to even meet with him?" Makoto pointed out. "He's royalty, after all. Their schedules would be completely blocked off, wouldn't they?"

Subaru let out a groan. "Okay, but yesterday, Hokke _promised_ that we would go and get my shoe back after our performance today. And we finished that, so it's time to _go_."

"I said we would _talk_ about it, and we are. We aren't going," Hokuto declared. "I don't want us to be imprisoned by the royal family for trespassing on—you know— _royal grounds_. We don't have permission to enter the castle, let alone even approach it."

There was a moment of silence as the words sunk in. Subaru stared at his leader. Hokuto stared back, his gaze unwavering. Then Subaru abruptly broke eye contact as he turned to face the two other Trickstar members. "Ukki! Sari! You need to help me find my sparkly shoe!"

"I'm _right_ here, you know!" Hokuto hissed. "I can hear you scheming!"

Makoto scratched his chin nervously. "I mean, I want to help you, Akehoshi, but I have no idea how. Hidaka is right; we don't have authorization to enter the castle."

"I can probably get us permission," Mao offered, ignoring their leader's words.

"What?!" Subaru and Hokuto exclaimed in unison. "You can get us into the _castle?_ "

The two boys stepped closer to him. Subaru's eyes shined in anticipation. "Elaborate," Hokuto prodded, a wary look on his face.

"My friend—Ritsu—he's a knight. For the prince, actually. I can send him a letter and I'm sure he would be able to let us in," Mao explained. "I was actually going to write him a letter while we were here, anyway. So I do have the carrier pigeon, yes, Hokuto. I just didn't know if I'd actually be able to meet him in person, but I think with all this going on, we can work something out."

Hokuto blinked. "Even if that's the case, we really don't have any business being there."

"Oh, we're travelling entertainers. Don't you think that's reason enough?" Makoto answered. "They probably have performers there all of the time."

"Yeah! You're the best, Sari!" Subaru beamed, throwing his arms around his friend and pulling him into a tight embrace. "Can you write—in the letter, will you write about my sparkly shoe?"

"Uh, you know that I'm not that great at writing," he mumbled in response as he returned Subaru's hug. "I actually wrote most of the letter already, so I can only add a line or two asking to let us in. That okay?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, that's perfect!"

"Isara," Hokuto cut in, gesturing towards the door, "can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Sure." He followed after his leader as he exited the room. Mao shut the door behind them once they stepped into the hallway. He took a breath before saying, "I know what you're thinking, Hokuto."

He raised a brow. "And what is that?"

"We can't waste our time running around a castle, chasing after sparkly shoes," he replied. "But, look, this can be good for us. We aren't scheduled to be out of Kimisaki for a while, are we? And if we are in the _castle_ , do you know what we could find?"

"That's risky," was his immediate response.

"Maybe, but I know Ritsu will help us."

Hokuto sighed. "I won't say I didn't think about it, Isara. We're not far from Yumenosaki here; information would travel through this kingdom. I just don't want to act too quickly. And it'd be dangerous working within, especially without the support of the royal family."

"And that's why I'm saying Ritsu will help. I know he will," Mao assured. "And we can always just leave if things aren't looking good. We wouldn't have to stay there forever."

"Yes, as long as they aren't _forcing_ us to. They have the means," he muttered.

"Just think about it, Hokuto," Mao pressed on. "It won't hurt if we're there for a few days, at the very least. I'll send the letter."

"Yes, you're right. I'll consider it." His lips formed a thin line. "Let's head back in."

Inside, Makoto and Subaru were conversing as they picked up the rest of Trickstar's accessories. Hokuto called out to the duo, "Hey, let's go get something to eat."

Once everything was cleaned up, the group left the establishment. Subaru sidled up next to Mao, happily humming.

"You know we probably won't be able to go for a couple days, right?" Mao asked.

"I know." Subaru grinned. "But now I know we're actually going."

Mao smiled in return. "Yeah."

Subaru was visibly excited. They were going to get his sparkly shoe back, after all. And he could return to the castle, admire the beautiful building once more, and maybe even see the prince again. It was going to be _fun_ , especially with the rest of Trickstar there with him this time. He was prepared to do whatever was needed to retrieve his missing shoe.

But for now, all he could do was wait.

  

* * *

 

He heard a knock on his bedroom door.

"Tsukasa?" a familiar voice called out.

"Come in," he answered, setting down the book he was reading. He stood from his desk and turned to see Arashi enter the room.

"You have archery practice in thirty minutes," Arashi spoke.

"Thank you, Narukami." The prince smiled at his knight. "And what else was it that you wanted from me?"

He feigned an innocent expression. "And why do you think I wanted something from you?"

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow. "Because telling me about my archery practice isn't your job."

"You got me there!" With a grin, Arashi crossed the bedroom, stopping close to the prince. "Big sis wanted to hear about how the ball went last night. Did you meet anyone special?"

His mind briefly flashed to a single sparkly shoe.

Tsukasa sighed. "You know it was all for show. Politics. Nothing more, really."

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mean you couldn't have met a special someone," he pointed out. "You have to get married soon anyway, don't you?"

"Please don't remind me," he groaned.

"It'd be better if you were able to marry someone you loved." Arashi cupped his cheek in thought. "I was really hoping you'd fall in love with someone last night! Someone who'd be good for you. And our politics too, I suppose. Oh, but that's not really the important thing, in my opinion."

"Well, we'll see about that." The edge of his lips quirked upwards in a humourless smile.

"Are you sure there wasn't anyone?" Arashi pressed on. "If there was anyone you liked... even just a little, it'd help if we knew. So we can speak with them before any others. Big sis doesn't want you ending up in a loveless, arranged marriage, you know."

And it was a fair point. If he was going to be forced into a political marriage, the least he could do was find someone that he liked to an extent. His thoughts drifted back to the previous night, trying to remember everyone he danced and spoke with. He tried to forget about Subaru and the shoe he dropped.

"Anzu," he said at last, a faint blush on his cheeks. "There was this girl named Anzu."

"Anzu?" Arashi repeated, hand on his chin in contemplation as though he was running through a mental list of his own. There was a pause before the knight asked quietly, "She's from a duchy on the outskirts of Yumenosaki?"

The air felt heavy at _that_ name, but the prince still nodded in assent.

"Oh, that's wonderful! I'm happy for you." Arashi smiled in return.

"Speaking of Yumenosaki." Tsukasa turned to face his desk once more, eying the cover of his closed book as though it were the most interesting thing in the room. "What has His Highness been doing lately?"

"You know I'm no longer his knight, Tsukasa."

"Of course you are. He's the _King_." He didn't mean for the words to sound as harsh as they did. "You're all still _his_ knights."

"Oh, of course. He is our King, but I am _your_ retainer now, and I can assure you that both Ritsu and Izumi are just as willing to serve you as I am," said Arashi. "Anyway, if you really must know, I do hear things around the castle. I'm sure you're aware that tensions have been high between Kimisaki and Yumenosaki as of late. It seems that our King has been speaking with Emperor Tenshouin Eichi these days."

"I see." He flipped open the textbook once more, thumbing through pages he'd already read. It was a historical text. "What is he trying to do...?"

"He's always had a natural talent for strategizing, my prince."

"I know." He grit his teeth. "I know, Narukami, but our own affairs are still recovering after everything that's happened the past year—I hardly think we are ready for any external conflicts."

_I hardly think_ His Highness _is ready._

"And he's doing the best he can for our kingdom," the knight spoke. "Have some faith in him."

"It's difficult when he's spent the majority of his time up until now sneaking out of the castle, instead of attending his _lessons_ ," he countered.

"And he was always conducting reconnaissance surveys. They were not meaningless ventures," Arashi pointed out. "Anyway, if you really wanted to know what he's planning, you can just ask him yourself."

Tsukasa scowled at the thought. "I highly doubt he'll tell me anything. He calls me 'Rookie' all the time, like he doesn't even know my name. He doesn't care."

"It's 'Rook,' isn't it?"

He rolled his eyes. "What's the difference?"

"We all have nicknames from the King."

Tsukasa whipped around to face his knight. "And he still uses your name most of the time. Besides, he calls you 'Queen' and you _like_ that. It's completely different!"

Arashi giggled. "You're right about that. But I'm sure the King doesn't mean anything by it. Really, Tsukasa, you don't need to worry about it."

Still, the prince pouted. "Well, I don't like it."

"I think it's cute." Before Tsukasa could protest, Arashi continued, "I'll leave you to prepare for your archery now. Oh, and before I forget, I'm sure you and Anzu will be cute together too!"

He felt his face warm at that comment. "Farewell, my prince!" the knight called out as he exited Tsukasa’s room.

Alone in his quarters once more, the prince let out a sigh. A marriage. He had to get married, probably to someone he barely even knew, for the sake of his kingdom. He felt an awful lot like a helpless princess in the fairytales his mother used to read to him when he was younger; powerless and purposeless without a prince. Like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella—

_The shoe._

He wasn't sure why he took it. He couldn't just leave it on the ground, but he didn't need to bring it back to his room either. It was now hidden away in one of his desk drawers. He thought about giving it to Arashi—it was something he might appreciate, as gaudy as it was—but decided against it. What use was a single shoe?

He would have to dispose of it later, he concluded.

There were more pressing matters at hand, anyway. He didn't want to think about his inevitable betrothal, but he knew he couldn't ignore the issue either. And at the end of the day, he _wanted_ to do something for Kimisaki. Anything in his power, as little as it was.

But for now, all he could do was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you know there's actually a plot for this story lol.  
> anyway i'm using he/him for Arashi (due to setting and also personal preference). mostly ignoring honourifics too, but there will still be some cases where they show up because i couldn't work around it.


	3. Romeo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title: _Romeo_ by HoneyWorks (feat. [Uchiyama Kouki & Shimazaki Nobunaga](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehwXei5y1pY) ; [nnd](http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm30675848))

In the daylight, the castle was just as grand as it was on the night of the ball. Even without the hustle and bustle of the festivities, something about the large building still felt busy. Trickstar, naturally, avoided the front gates. With Mao leading the way, the boys found themselves at a side entrance, waiting for their escort. It wasn't long until a knight with short black hair and droopy eyes appeared in front of them.

"Maa-kun," he hummed, approaching the redhead. With a lazy smile, he leaned against his friend. "I'm tired."

"Hey, Ritsu." Mao chuckled, patting the knight on the head. "Don't fall asleep yet, I still need to introduce you to the rest of Trickstar."

"Ah." At those words, Ritsu turned to face the other boys. "Hi, Trickstar."

"Hi," Subaru greeted with a smile.

"This is my friend, Ritsu. Sakuma Ritsu. We used to train together when we were younger," Mao explained, gesturing towards the knight. "And Ritsu, meet Hokuto, Subaru, and Makoto." 

"Thank you for helping us," Hokuto spoke up.

"Mm, I just wanted to see Maa-kun."

"Anyway," Mao let out a cough as he walked towards the castle. "Let's go inside. Are you sure it's all right that you're letting us in, Ritsu?"

"Sure. Maybe." The knight shrugged. "I didn't tell Secchan or Nacchan but I trust you, Maa-kun. So it's fine."

"I ... don't know how fine that is, but I'm glad to see you again."

Once inside the building, Ritsu immediately moved to sit on the ground. He tugged on Mao's hand until his childhood friend sat next to him. Satisfied, Ritsu closed his eyes and quickly dozed off. Hokuto watched their interaction with one brow raised; Mao could only give his leader a brief smile in response. "He's always been like this, to be honest."

"Should we wake him?" Hokuto questioned.

"He wouldn't like that. Though he might not be sleeping for long, anyway." Mao directed his gaze towards Subaru and Makoto, who were chatting quite happily. And quite loudly.

"Whoa, you were right, Akehoshi!" Makoto exclaimed. "This place is huge!"

Subaru nodded his head. "Right, right? I bet there's lots of shiny treasures hidden around, too! _And_ my shoe!"

"Please don't just run off on your own discretion," Hokuto interjected.

There was a pause.

"I wasn't going to." Subaru pouted. Unconvincingly.

Before Hokuto could reprimand his team member any further, a harsh voice echoed, "Hey, Kuma! Where the hell are you? You're supposed to be on patrol!"

Footsteps were rapidly approaching. The group of travelling performers glanced at each other, unsure of what to do; Ritsu was still sound asleep. Two knights appeared, leaving the boys with no time to discuss their course of action.

The knight with messy silver hair glowered, his right hand gripping the hilt of the sword by his waist. The other knight watched with a bemused expression as his companion hissed, "Who the hell are _you_ guys?"

"We're guests," Mao immediately replied. From the corner of his eye, he could see Hokuto motion to Subaru not to say anything, especially anything pertaining to shoes. "Ritsu invited us."

The knight's careful gaze shifted downwards to the two boys on the ground. After a moment's pause, he returned his arm to his side. "Kuma. Wake the fuck up."

"Ah... Secchan. Morning."

"It's noon. Who the hell are these people?"

"Hm?" Ritsu blinked groggily, eyes flitting over each member of Trickstar. "Oh. They're friends, or something like that. Can you be quiet, Secchan? I'm trying to sleep."

"Ritsu," the other knight finally spoke, his tone sweet in contrast to his colleague's. "We were totally looking for you. You should be making your rounds about now, mm?"

The boy frowned. "But Nacchan, nothing's going on and I'm sleepy."

"We have some intruders right here—"

"Friends of Ritsu's are friends of ours, Izumi," the blonde knight intervened. With those words, he turned to face the visitors in question. "Oh my, I forgot my manners. My name is Narukami Arashi, it's a pleasure to meet you. Ah, the rude one is Sena Izumi."

Izumi rolled his eyes. "This is a waste of time. Can't we just kick them out?"

Arashi smiled. "Of course not."

Hokuto let out a cough, drawing their attention. "Sorry for the disturbance. I'm Hidaka Hokuto." He gestured to each member of Trickstar as he gave their names to the knights.

"Charmed. So, what brings you all here then?" Arashi inquired. Izumi followed the conversation with a silent scowl. Ritsu had fallen back to sleep, resting against Mao. "Just visiting our sleepy little knight?"

"Ah, well, partially." Hokuto paused. "We are travelling performers."

"Oh, how cute! Will you be doing something for us?"

Hokuto let a small smile form on his lips. "It's not out of the question. But yes, I suppose we are just here to visit."

"I'm also looking for something!" Subaru suddenly blurted out. All Hokuto could do was sigh as Makoto tried unsuccesfully to quiet down their friend. "The prince has something of mine!"

"What?" Izumi startled. "What business do you have with our prince?"

Subaru huffed. "We met at the ball the other night! We danced and talked and stuff... But I lost something. And I think he was the one who took it, so I'm here to get it back."

"Oh, our prince is so sweet. He wouldn't do such a thing, you know?"

"I don't think it was on purpose. It just sort of happened," Subaru elaborated, "and I guess he has it now."

"Oh. You said the two of you danced?" Arashi repeated.

Subaru nodded. "It was fun!"

"And ... he has something of yours now." Arashi smiled, letting out a pleased hum. "I see how it is now! Well, then, good luck, Subaru!"

"Hey, what the hell, Naru!" Izumi exclaimed. "We can't just let this kid around the prince; he could be lying."

"I don't think a cute boy like Subaru has any ill will, Izumi." Arashi moved to bring Subaru into a friendly embrace, but the Trickstar member quickly squirmed away from the knight's touch. Makoto was just as quick to jump to his friend's side.

The bespectacled boy stammered, "It—It's nothing, really. We're not here to cause trouble."

" _Huh?_ You say something like that and you expect us to—" Izumi growled, turning to face Makoto. He abruptly stopped. Naturally, Makoto shrunk under the knight's hard gaze, slowly hiding himself behind Subaru. His friend glanced between the two of them, confused.

For a moment, it was quiet. Then—

"Your eyes," Izumi started. "Your _eyes_. Are you—"

Suddenly, Makoto let out a yelp. "We were going to meet with someone else, r-right? Let's go!"

With those words, Makoto grabbed Subaru's hand and bolted off down the hallway the knights had arrived from. Surprised, Subaru almost tripped and fell flat on his face, but he quickly adjusted his balance and matched Makoto's pace. The group they left behind could only stare in bewilderment as the duo disappeared around a corner.

It was Izumi who spoke first, "We can't just let them run amok here."

Arashi blinked. "My... You scared some of our guests away already, Izumi. But, hm, yes, you're right. You should keep an eye on them."

"You're not coming?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"I should show our guests where they're staying!" Arashi huffed like it was obvious. "Besides, you can take Ritsu with you."

"I really don't think I can." Izumi looked at the boy in question, still sound asleep next to Mao. "Fine, whatever, I'll go by myself. You're all useless, just so you know."

Arashi waved his colleague off with a smile. Once he was gone, he redirected his attention to Hokuto, Mao, and Ritsu. "Now, then, shall we get going?"

"...Is that all right?" Hokuto muttered.

"Is what all right?"

"Just... everything that just happened." He motioned to their surroundings.

"Ah, well, I trust Izumi. So I'm not worried, even if you do happen to be up to something," Arashi elaborated. "Not that I think you are. You all seem like such _hardworking_ boys."

"Uh, thank you. And sorry about Akehoshi and Yuuki, they can be a bit... _something_ together," Hokuto apologized.

"No worries! It was quite amusing. I don't think they mean any harm." Arashi giggled. "Anyway, I can show you the guestrooms now."

"Thank you."

The knight looked towards the two boys still seated on the ground. "Mao?"

"Oh, I'm going to stay with Ritsu for a while longer, if you don't mind." The redhead chuckled.

"Of course! I guess it'll just be me and you then, Hokuto." Arashi gave the boy in question a wink.

The edges of Hokuto's mouth lifted to form a polite smile. Quietly, the leader of Trickstar followed the knight towards the guest quarters.

 

* * *

 

After turning several corners and running down countless hallways, Subaru and Makoto finally came to a stop. Short of breath, Subaru asked his friend who this other person they claimed to be meeting was; he wasn't aware that Makoto also had connections to someone in Kimisaki's castle.

Makoto stammered in response, "N-No one, actually. Sorry. I—I had to get away from Izumi."

Subaru stared at the blond, the obvious question on the tip of his tongue—hanging in the air. But with the troubled expression on his unit mate's face, he decided to leave the issue alone. For now. Instead, he hummed in agreement, "Well, he seemed pretty scary! And we _do_ need to meet the prince, after all."

"Do you know where he'd be?"

"Not at all!" He grinned as he started walking again, his pace much slower now than during their escape. "But I feel like I'll find him, y'know?"

Makoto moved to walk alongside Subaru. He teasingly elbowed his friend. "Like fate, huh?"

"It's in the stars!" Subaru echoed with a laugh.

With smiles on their lips, the duo continued their exploration of the castle.

 

* * *

 

Hokuto was courteous and polite while Arashi showed him the guest rooms. The entirety of Trickstar seemed innocuous though—a little troublesome, if anything—but Arashi trusted Ritsu's judgment. Still, the knight made a mental note to himself to scold Ritsu regarding the matter later; protocols were protocols, and unexpected visitors were frowned upon for security reasons. He genuinely didn't think that the group of performers were up to anything in particular, but he knew he had to keep an eye on the four boys regardless. It was his duty as a knight, after all.

Arashi stood before the prince's door and knocked. It wasn't long until he heard Tsukasa's voice calling him in. Opening the door, the knight stepped into the prince's room with a bow. Lifting his head, he saw the prince seated at his desk, nose buried in a book as per usual. "Is something the matter, Narukami?" he inquired, eyes still on the words in front of him.

"There's someone who wants to see you."

At these words, Tsukasa removed himself from his desk and turned to face his retainer. "Who? I do not have any appointments for the rest of today."

"Ah, well, I probably shouldn't say." Arashi giggled.

Tsukasa blinked once, twice.

"Someone who met you at the ball came! Looking for you! Said that you stole their heart away," the blond exclaimed, the excitement bubbling in his voice. "Isn't that romantic?"

"What? Who?" He had no idea. Tsukasa was aware that talks with potential marriage partners were underway, but nothing concrete had been set yet. Who could possibly be looking for him? Just the thought that someone was seeking out _him_ —Prince Tsukasa, not His Highness, not anyone else—left a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach he couldn't quite describe.

He didn't hate it.

Arashi placed a finger on his chin, seemingly contemplating his answer. After a moment's thought, he replied, "Oh, I _really_ shouldn't say. It'll ruin the surprise."

"Yet you opted to tell me that they were here to meet me anyway." The prince groaned, "Please just tell me who it is. Ah, did they already make an appointment to see me? Did someone forget to inform me?"

"Oh no, not at all. It's certainly a very spontaneous, romantic gesture." Arashi let out an appreciative sigh. "Your Romeo!"

Tsukasa quirked an eyebrow at this. "And why would I want a Romeo, of all things?"

Arashi waved away his concerns. "It's the sentiment, my prince, the sentiment."

"You know how it ends; a happy ending would be nice."

"And you will get one," Arashi reassured the prince. "Apologies if I had bothered your studies, but I'll be on my way now—I just _had_ to inform you of your special guest!"

"Well, you hardly told me much." Tsukasa gave his knight a small smile. "But thank you regardless, I suppose."

With a final bow, Arashi exited the prince's quarters. He was truly, genuinely excited for him, and why wouldn't he wish his prince a happy ending? After all, Tsukasa showed little interest in his own marriage arrangements—the talks were all political in nature, there was little time for courting, and few expressed sincere interest in the prince himself. He never smiled as much as he used to, not since the turmoil that had plagued the kingdom a year prior. Arashi sympathized; it was a rough situation for the royal family and they were still picking up the pieces to this day.

Was Subaru the one? It was much too early to tell, but Arashi was a romantic at heart and his heart held a glimmer of hope for Tsukasa.

 

* * *

 

"And we could totally play hide-and-seek here, it's—"

"You two!" a harsh voice called out, interrupting Subaru mid-speech. Both Subaru and Makoto froze at those words—they could recognize the speaker as the cold knight from earlier. Glancing at one another, the duo broke into a sprint. They weren't entirely sure _why_ they were running, but something compelled them. Maybe it was the excitement of exploring a new building. Maybe it was just a fun, good-hearted chase.

Maybe Makoto couldn't stand to face the knight again.

"We can do this the hard way, or the easy way," Izumi mumbled under his breath, briskly following the two boys down the hallway. He sighed to himself; assuming they weren't up to anything malicious or acting suspiciously, he wasn't going to lock them up—they just had to stop recklessly moving around the castle. "Why do people always choose the hard way?"

As they ran, Subaru couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips. It felt like they were on a quest, escaping from the final obstacle that stood between him and his lost shoe.

But with their lack of knowledge of the castle's layout, they could sense Izumi fast approaching. He naturally knew the ins and outs of the establishment. Rounding a corner, they were startled to come face-to-face with the knight. Subaru's immediate reflex was to turn on his heel and run in the opposite direction. In his shock, Makoto stumbled backwards, tripping on his feet and falling to the ground.

It took a moment for Subaru to realize his partner had slipped.

He turned to see Izumi hovering over Makoto, a frown on his face.

"Ukki!" Subaru cried out, prepared to return to his friend's side.

Makoto coughed dramatically. "Go... Go on without me, Akehoshi! I'll—I'll distract him!" he choked out. "Don't let me... Don't let me hold you back!"

"I won't let your sacrifice be in vain, Ukki!" Subaru sobbed, wiping fake tears from his eyes as he started running again.

Subaru's footsteps gradually disappeared down the hallway until it was silent once more. The knight cocked an eyebrow at the boy at his feet; he wouldn't look him in the eye.

Well, _this_ was suspicious.

"Why am I dealing with this again?" Izumi muttered to himself. Taking a breath, he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the Trickstar member. "Tell me, what are you four up to?"

 

* * *

 

Tsukasa wasn't sure how to feel about the brief news. Arashi was much too vague for the prince to make anything out of the words, though he did know his retainer could be easily excited about certain matters, as seemingly insignificant as they were. He also had the tendency to exaggerate at times.

Though Tsukasa returned to his desk to resume his studies, he found it hard to concentrate. Was it really so wrong that he liked the idea of someone looking for him? People always sought out His Highness, naturally, but the prince himself felt like he could offer something of value to others as well; to his _kingdom_. Yet they never looked far enough into what he was capable of—after all, they were planning to simply marry him off to a stranger who could provide the most political benefits for their kingdom.

He knew he was more than that. But if that was all that they would allow him to become, then he would fulfill those duties to the best of his abilities.

The prince tried to continue his studies, but it was hard not to be frustrated. He had read hundreds of texts but the knowledge was left unutilized; he was never asked to participate in any of His Highness' strategy briefings. A part of him hoped that this _Romeo_ , as Arashi so affectionately dubbed, was seeking him out because they believed in his abilities to lead.

But a larger part of him knew that couldn't possibly be the case; he hardly spoke of such matters during the ball. Who could be looking for him, then? Anzu seemed sweet and intelligent but their conversations were largely superficial; meaningless.

With a sigh, he flipped to the next page of his book and started reading once more. He was able to complete one more section of the textbook before he heard his door abruptly burst open. At the sound, he bolted to his feet, hands discreetly searching for the pocket knife tucked away within his garments.

No one was supposed to enter his room without knocking.

He could feel his heartbeat stabilize as his fingers grazed the handle of his hidden blade.

Slowly, Tsukasa turned to face the intruder.

He was met with the familiar sight of messy orange hair and sparkling blue eyes.

Jesus Christ, this could _not_ be happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man I had this chapter outline done for months but real life just stopped me from writing it. i'm not really pleased with the result but i just wanted to get it out i guess ;; but eyyy more cast introduction.
> 
> and ah yeah, Ritsu is the one who I've kept honourifics for... since I couldn't really think of a way to do his nicknames otherwise.


End file.
